Q&A with Dr.P – WHY WON’T MY MAN LISTEN!!???

My boyfriend has some issues.. I noticed the other day when i was down in the man part area that something was a little different. He himself has also expressed some discomfort in that area. I have looked up symptoms etc and all signs lead towards Testicular Cancer. I have tried and tried to get him to go to the doctor, but he won’t. What should i do to encourage him to go? Amber, Boulder, CO

ANSWER:

Amber, wonderful question. This is one the BIGGEST problems with guys… while we are caring and strong, we are stubborn – especially when it comes to sensitive areas like our genitals. No guy wants to think he has anything wrong with his testicles or penis and the thought of cancer or surgery can be really scary. For men with testicular cancer, the average time for a man to notice something in his testicles and come to medical attention is approximately 4-5 months in this country!! Luckily our cure rate is still 95%, but we could probably get closer to 100% (with less chemotherapy and big surgery) if guys would go to the doctor a little sooner. So you can stress to him that if he does have a problem, he would definitely want to address it sooner rather than later.

The other truth is that most problems “down there” are benign and don’t require surgery or treatment. Hydrocele, varicocele, spermatocele are all benign growths in the scrotum. None of which is dangerous. So you can also stress to him that it’s likely nothing serious, but wouldn’t he want to know??

The last piece of this is that the evaluation only requires a physical examination by a physician and, only IF there is something abnormal, a scrotal ultrasound (painless, cheap (about $180 US and covered by all insurance), fast without radiation).

If he doesn’t listen to that, tell him Thomas and I are coming to drag him to the doctor!!